I know someone who’s recently gone to New Zealand on holiday. I did originally wonder what New Zealand would make of him, and how they’d cope. But I’ve discovered today that there are already things in New Zealand, which — somewhat suprisingly — are even odder than any of the stories he’s had to tell.

A man who told police he had been raped by a wombat has, perhaps not surprisingly, failed to substantiate his claim in court… Not only did he make up the wombat rape story, but the New Zealander also insisted the trauma of the attack had left him “speaking Australian”.Metro News

So maybe I should be asking him if he’s had any ‘close encounters of the wombat variety’?